


Collide

by jxy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Background Simon Lewis/Maia Roberts, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Getting to Know Each Other, Light Angst, Lightwood Siblings Feels, M/M, Protective Isabelle Lightwood, Slow Burn, Supportive Magnus Bane, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-06-21 02:56:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15548046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jxy/pseuds/jxy
Summary: “Alec wants you to be his fake boyfriend.” Maia said, foregoing any conversation that could lead up to the request.Alec's eyes widened when Magnus looked over her shoulder at him. He made a mental note to murder Maia when he got her back into his studio. “I'd be honoured Alexander. I have a client on the way but I'll stop by and discuss the details with you once I'm done, alright?”“Yeah, yeah that um, that sounds great.” Alec stuttered, and Magnus smiled again before waving at Maia and closing the door. She spun around, grinning in satisfaction.Alec grabbed her arm, yanking her back into the studio. “I hate you.”“No you don't.” she smiled.





	1. Broken Keys

“Fuck, are you serious?” 

Alec groaned, hitting his palm against his studio door, frustration bubbling up when it wouldn't open. He tired the handle again, tried shoving his key into the lock for the fifth time, only to slam his hand into it when it wouldn't open yet again. He kicked it, his foot hitting harshly against the wood, and turned around, his back hitting the wall as he sank to the floor. He wanted to cry, all the days frustrations eating away at him. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet, yet here he was, sitting on the floor of an office building hallway trying his absolute hardest not to ball his eyes out. 

“Alexander?” Alec looked up at the sound of his name, his glassy eyes searching for the owner of the voice, and almost smiled at the sight of one of the other people with an office in the building. “Are you alright darling?” 

“Hey, Magnus.” He sighed, letting his head fall back and hit the door. The faint stinging in the back of his skull only jumbled his thoughts further, but it gave him something else to focus on. 

Magnus walked closer, leaning on the wall outside his own office, the one right across the hall from Alec's. “Why are you sitting on your floor? I'm not one to judge, but.” his voice trailed off, and he raised a well manicured eyebrow at him, clearly waiting for an answer. 

“My key broke,” Alec mumbled, pulling at the fraying ends of his sweater sleeves, trying to pay more attention to the paint splatters on his pants than to the overwhelming need to curl into a ball and cry. “I can't open the door.” 

Magnus’s dark eyes softened and he moved over to Alec, holding his hand out. Alec only stared at him in response, looking intently at the perfectly done kohl under his eyes, and Magnus raised his eyebrows again, nodding towards his hand. He sighed deeply, grasping Magnus’s hand and letting him pull him to his feet. His back cracked obnoxiously with the movement and Magnus visibly winced. Alec gave him a small apologetic smile. Magnus picked up Alec's bag, slinging it over his own shoulder instead of handing it back to him, and moved to his office. 

“What are you doing?” Alec asked. 

Magnus, who was busy unlocking his own office door, turned back to him and smiled. “Come inside, I'll get you some coffee.” 

And, well, Magnus was stupidly attractive and Alec was overtired, so he found himself accepting quicker than could be deemed appropriate for near strangers. Magnus’s office had been in this building much longer than Alec's had, and he'd generally been one of the very few people to welcome him when he'd first shown up with his office keys and a large collection of poles and lights. Magnus had offered to help him move his things in, had brought him a donut the next day when he showed up with even more stuff, and occasionally agreed to help Alec with a new concept when he wasn't busy. He ran some sort of fashion blog, Alec knew that much. He tried looking at it once but got so utterly confused in the pages of clothing and bidding and selling that he'd closed out of it within fifteen minutes of opening it. 

Magnus let him into his office, placing his bag down gently on a chair by the door, and Alec followed him as he walked over to a small makeshift kitchen on one end of the space. Alec had lucked out when he'd found this place for his studio. He was on the second floor of a three story building in the least crowded place of New York he had ever seen which, to be fair, was still rather crowded. There were only two spaces on his floor, his own and Magnus’s, and the only other tenant he knew was an incredibly kind old lady that ran a charity organization for homeless teenagers and brought him baked goods on special occasions. Her name was Doris and she'd brought him an entire pie once when she learned it was his birthday. He'd never felt the urge to adopt a new grandmother more than he had in that moment. 

“Black coffee, right?” Magnus asked, looking at Alec over his shoulder as he fiddled with a coffee machine. 

Alec gave him a weak smile. “That's perfect.” He said, impressed that Magnus managed to remember how he took his coffee despite only ever being told once. 

It was silent for a minute, the atmosphere comfortable despite the quiet, before the upbeat rhythm of a pop song cut through the silence. Alec rolled his eyes. “Sorry.” He said, smiling as Magnus waved off his apology, and slipped his phone out of his back pocket. His smile only grew at the beaming picture of his best friend lighting up his screen. He swiped, bringing it up to his ear as he answered. 

“Hey,” He greeted, his smile dropping as he heard heavy breathing on the other side. “Clary? What's up?” 

“I fucking hate your dad.” Clary spat, and Alec suddenly had a very clear idea of which direction this conversation was going. 

He sighed, rolling his shoulders back and preparing himself to calm his panicked friend. “What did he do this time?” 

“He demanded that he be invited to the wedding,” she laughed bitterly. “As if he deserves to come after everything he did.” 

“Well he can go fuck himself.” Alec declared, and made a vague gesture he hoped conveyed that he'd tell him in a minute when Magnus gave him a concerned look.

Clary took a deep breath. “He can, he can absolutely do that,” she laughed a bit, and Alec found himself laughing slightly too. Magnus smiled and he gave him a soft one back. “Fuck, Alec I'm getting married.” 

“You've just realised this now?” he teased, and she giggled across the line. A grin spread across his face at the noise, his ability to cheer up his friend so quickly making a warm feeling stir in his chest. 

“Speaking of my wedding,” Clary said, and Alec could see her guilty smile from the tone of her voice. “I may have made a mistake.” 

Alec sucked in a breath. “What did you do?” 

“I told Izzy you were bringing a date.” she said quickly. 

Alec sighed, leaning back against one of the office walls and scrubbing a hand across his face. “And why on earth did you do that?” 

“She was really upset, I needed some way to cheer her up.” Clary defended herself, and as much as he tried Alec couldn't find it in himself to actually be mad at her. Annoyed, definitely, but never mad. 

“So you pretended I had a love life?” he heard Magnus snort from his position by the table and looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. He tried to look innocent but failed horrifically, only causing Alec to roll his eyes, a small smile on his face. 

“I know, I'm sorry,” Clary sighed, and Alec felt a little bit bad for her. The wedding planning was taking quite the toll on her, and although it was going to be the happiest day of her life, she was stressed to the point of no return about it. Alec related, he was stressed as hell about his own life. “Any chance you can find a boyfriend in four days?” 

Alec laughed, shaking his head even though she couldn't see him. “I'll see what I can do,” Magnus looked at him quizzically and he sighed yet again, dropping his head down slightly and rolling his neck to the side. “I gotta go, but I'll call you tonight and you can tell me all about why you hate my father and why I should go on a date already.” 

“I'm holding you to that.” she teased. 

“Bye, Fray.” He said, rolling his eyes. 

“Bye!” Clary said cheerily, her mood changing so fast it left Alec spinning. “Love you!” 

“Love you too.” He smiled and hung up, leaving him back to the silence of Magnus’s office. 

Clary Fray had been Alec's best friend since he had been paired up as her buddy in fourth grade. She had been in second, all bright red hair and wide green eyes, and her and her best friend Simon had wiggled their way into his heart. The three, along with Alec's little sister Isabelle, had become inseparable, and their little circle of friendship was only broken into by one other person, Jace, when he'd almost cut Alec's hand off in their beginners shop class in fifth grade. They made other friends in high school, each of them finding themselves in other groups that they found they fit into, but they never had anyone closer than each other. Everyone had somewhat scattered after graduation. Alec had taken a gap year before moving to New York to become a photographer, Izzy and Clary both stayed in their small hometown of Idris Ohio, and Jace and Simon moved to LA, Jace to be on a football team that had scouted him, which he eventually had to stop due to an injury he never fully recovered from, and Simon to start a music career. 

They didn't see each other as much as any of them would like. Their careers all got in the way, none having much free time to head over to a different state for a weekend, but Alec went to every single game Jace played in New York, and Simon always made sure to schedule stops close to them when his band was on tour. They had all last been in one place at once at Christmas four years ago, which was at least two years after Alec graduated. Clary and Izzy had started dating during their senior year, and four years later Izzy had worked up the courage to propose after a five hour long phone call with Alec the night before. They were getting married in two and a half weeks and of course, everyone was invited. He missed them all like crazy, and seeing them all again was going to be to best thing to happen to him in years. 

“That sounded like a hot mess of a conversation.” Magnus commented, handing Alec a cup of still warm coffee. 

He smiled gratefully, taking a long sip and letting the caffeine course through his exhausted body. He'd been trying to get as many shoots done as he could before he left, planning on editing them during the two weeks he was gone, and the long hours were starting to catch up to him. “It was.” 

“Wanna tell me what it was about, or are you going to leave me to forever wonder who can go fuck himself?” he questioned. 

Alec laughed, moving to stand closer to Magnus and lean on the table next to him. “My father. He demanded he be invited to my sisters wedding despite the fact that he left the family eight years ago.” 

“Wow,” Magnus hummed. “And what about your lack of a love life?” 

“That's a longer story.” Alec sighed, cracking his neck. He apologized quickly when Magnus winced. 

He shrugged. “We've got time. According to the main office we've got approximately,” he looked at the watch that looked more expensive than Alec’s rent on his wrist. “Half an hour before they can get you a new key.” He uncrossed his arms, walking smoothly over to a white leather couch against one wall and sinking down into it, patting the spot next to him. 

Alec took another sip of his coffee, raising his eyebrows at Magnus, who raised his in return, challenging Alec not to do what he asked. Alec conceded, sighing as he shuffled over to the couch and plopped down with a lot less elegance than Magnus had had when he sat down. “My little sister, Izzy, is getting married to this girl named Clary that I've been friends with since I was eight.” He started. 

Magnus nodded, taking a sip of his tea. Alec noticed that he didn't drink coffee, wondering why he even had it in his office if he didn't drink it but not asking. “Alright, sounds pretty normal.” 

“They argued for a month about who would get me as their man of honour,” Alec laughed, smiling as Magnus did as well. “Clary said she should get me cause she only has Simon, our other friend, as an option, but Izzy said she should get me cause I was her brother.” 

“I agree with Izzy, that seems like a very valid reason to want you ad he man of honour.” Magnus commented. 

Alec nodded. “I argued that I shouldn't even be a part of the wedding party since I'm taking the photos, but that wasn't good enough for them. So, I said that it would be unfair to leave my date by themself for the duration of the ceremony,” Magnus nodded, taking another sip as he followed along with Alec's story. “Of course, I don't have a boyfriend, so I don't have a date, which both of them are fully aware of.” 

“That's where your lack of a love life comes in.” Magnus said. 

“Yeah. Cause apparently, Izzy was having some sort of meltdown, so Clary told her I actually had a date to cheer her up. Now my little sister thinks I've got a date to her wedding, and I'm leaving in four days and I'm about to be a horrible big brother and disappoint her.” He finished, sighing and taking a long sip of his coffee, waiting expectantly for Magnus’s answer. 

“That does sound like a predicament,” Magnus mused, placing his tea down on the table beside him. “Why don't you just take a friend, pretend you're dating?” 

“Cause I have no friends.” Alec mumbled into his coffee. 

Magnus still heard him, a frown forming on his face. “Don't tell me your only friends are the bride and your sister.” 

“Or Simon and Jace,” Alec quickly added, before sighing and leaning further into the couch. He didn't know what it was but something made him incredibly comfortable, made him feel like he could tell him almost anything. He was explaining things to a near stranger that he’d never tell some people he was closer with, but Magnus didn't feel like a stranger. He felt ridiculous even thinking about it. “But all my other friends are girls.” 

“And that's an issue because?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow at Alec over the rim of his cup as he took another sip. 

Alec snorted a little. “I've mentioned my lack of a boyfriend at least three times in this conversation. I'm gay, Magnus.” 

“You could have been bi.” Magnus shrugged. 

Alec gestured vaguely. “Valid. Unfortunately though, I'm not.” 

“I do have another solution for you.” Magnus smiled. 

Alec raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?” 

Magnus opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a knocking at the office door. He groaned, forcing himself up off the comfortable couch, moving to answer whoever was there. Alec stood quickly as well, following him over to the door. “Jake from the main office,” the man at the door introduces himself. He holds out his hand, keys dangling between his fingers. “I have a new set of keys for the office across the hall.” 

Magnus nodded and Jake turned, moving quickly to the door of Alec's studio. Alec grabbed his bag from the stool by the door and followed him out, Magnus behind him. The door to the studio opened and Alec let out a long breath of relief. He only had one shoot scheduled for that day but she was scheduled to arrive in less than half an hour and he still had a lot of set up work to do. “Thanks so much, Jake.” Alec smiled. 

He shrugged, a soft smile on his as he tossed over Alec's new set of keys. “Don't mention it. Just make sure you drop off money for the new set by the end of the day.” 

Alec nodded, smiling gratefully at Jake as he walked past. “Of course,” He gave a mock solute before he turned the corner, the sounds of his heavy boots on the wooden stairs slowly fading into nonexistence. Alec turned back to Magnus where he was leaning against his door frame, a smile on his face. “What were you gonna suggest before?” 

Magnus waved him off. “It's alright, I've completely forgotten my train of thought.”

“Sorry.” Alec frowned. 

He shook his head quickly. “Don't be.” 

The sound of shoes on the staircase broke the comfortable silence between them and both turned their heads to look at the approaching dark skinned girl. A grin grew on Alec's face and he dropped his bag down as gently as he could, throwing his arms open for the girl as she approached. “Maia!” he beamed, wrapping her in a tight hug that she returned full force, her cheek pressed up against Alec's chest and her arms around his waist. 

She pulled back from him, fixing her curly hair where it had smushed down from the hug. “There's my least favourite person.” 

“It's good to see you too,” Alec grinned, pulling her into a quick side hug. She smushed her face into his chest again, wrapping an arm around his waist. Alec looked up and instantly felt guilty at the confused expression on Magnus’s face. He'd temporarily forgotten he was there at all. “Magnus, this is Maia, my only friend in New York.” 

Maia looked up at him quizzically before she stuck out her hand, the other still wrapped around his waist. “Maia Roberts.” 

“Magnus Bane.” He replied, returning the handshake kindly. 

“Sorry I'm so early, traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.” Maia said, her voice taking on an apologetic tone as she pulled away from Magnus. 

Alec shook his head. “Don't worry about it.” 

“Well, I'll leave you two to your chatting. I have some work to do this morning.” Magnus declared, clapping his hands together and gesturing back to his office. 

“I'm sorry,” Alec said quickly. “I didn't realize I was keeping you from your work. You didn't have to talk to me.” 

“Right, and I was going to leave you to cry in the hallway.” Magnus scoffed. 

Maia pulled back slightly from the arm Alec was still holding her under, her eyebrows raising as she looked up at him. He turned his attention back to Magnus, who looked more than ready to turn around and run back into his office. “Okay. I'll see you later Magnus.” 

Magnus smiled and nodded. “I'll see you around. It was nice meeting you Maia.” 

“It was nice meeting you too.” She said, and he slipped back into his office, letting the door close behind him with a final click. 

Maia slipped out of Alec's hold, ducking down to grab his discarded bag off the floor and jogged into his studio. Alec rolled his eyes, pocketing his new keys and followed her in, closing the door behind him. He never locked it during the day. He wasn't very likely to get robbed, the street the building was on never saw much attention for crimes like that, and he could probably fight off any intruder he needed to if he tried hard enough. Alec Lightwood, after all, was not a small man. Maia had situated herself at the only table in the space, sitting proudly on the tall chair, a bottle of coke in her hands. Alec's fingers twitched reflexively with the need to take a photo and he moved to grab his camera from his bag, switching it on and aiming it at Maia. 

She looked at him briefly, raising an eyebrow, but turned her attention to the new set of photos he had pinned to the wall instead, lifting the bottle to her lips to take a sip. She wasn't at all phased by the multiple clicks of his camera, having been subjected to his obsessive need to take photos of people multiple times. She liked to credit him for her spectacular Instagram account, but he put it down to her just being a good model. Alec slid onto the chair next to her, placing the camera down on the table, and Maia immediately grabbed it to look at the pictures. 

She hummed appreciatively when she found one she very clearly liked, clicking a button to mark it as a favourite. “Send me that.” She ordered, and he smiled, clicking the memory card out of his camera and slipping his laptop out of his bag. 

“What are we taking photos of today?” Alec asked, eyes on his screen as he logged in. 

Maia shrugged, taking another sip from her coke. “Beats me. You're the photographer.” 

“And you're paying me to take photos of you.” He reminded her. 

She huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Can you blame me for wanting to spend some time with you? Work is kicking my ass right now.” 

Maia worked almost all of her available hours at a bar downtown, mixing drinks for people and flirting for tips. More than once Alec had had to step in on nights he was there to pinch a guy that got a little too bold with his remarks. Usually claiming to be Maia’s boyfriend would do the trick, but sometimes assholes just needed a little bit more motivation to get their asses out of the bar. Maia had done it for him a decent amount of times as well, getting them banned from multiple gay bars and clubs downtown for slamming her leg between a guys legs when they got too close for Alec to be comfortable. They were a solid duo, defending each other and enjoying each others company. Alec distantly wished he'd known Maia back in high school, but the group of friends he'd had had been more than enough for him. 

“I really can't.” Alec hummed, clicking his SD card into his computer. 

“Are you gonna tell me why you were crying in the hallway this morning?” Maia asked, taking a swig of her coke. Her eyebrows were raised, her lips twitched up in a classic Maia smirk, but concern was shining in her dark eyes. 

“Nothing major,” he shrugged, clicking through photos to find the best ones to touch up. “I'm stupidly tired, and my key broke. I had a little bit a meltdown after, it was nothing serious.” 

She placed a hand gently on his arm, prompting him to look at her. “You promise you'll tell me if it's ever serious.” 

Alec nodded, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. “I promise.” 

“Good,” she smiled, patting him on the cheek, before hopping off her chair and walking over to the large white space taking up half of the mostly empty room, twirling around a little in front of the backdrop. “Have you been picked for man of honour yet?” 

Alec barked out a laugh. “They're still debating.” 

“I vote Izzy.” She declared, stopping her wandering in the middle of the backdrop, her hands in his pockets, leaning forwards slightly.   
“Magnus voted for Iz too.” Alec laughed. 

Maia hummed, the sounds taking on a teasing tone. “You and Magnus were talking about the wedding?” 

He nodded, typing her email into the box to send the chosen photos over to Maia. “Clary called me while I was waiting in his office. He asked me what we talked about, I told him.” 

“And what exactly did you and Clary talk about?” She questioned, grinning at him in thanks when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. 

“Wedding stuff,” he shrugged, smiling and leaning his head on his hand. “She told Iz that I have a date.” 

Maia stilled where she'd started up her spinning again, looking at him with wide eyes. “You've got a date? Why didn't you tell me?” 

“Because I don't have a date,” Alec explained, pointing at her as he spoke. “Clary only told her that to cheer her up, except now she's expecting me to show up with a date and I'm gonna be a terrible older brother and disappoint her.” 

“Get a fake boyfriend.” Maia suggested, shrugging her shoulders and hopping back up o to her chair, taking another sip of her temporarily forgotten drink. She was never one to stay still very long, incapable of staying still for more than a minute. They didn't know if it was medical. She'd never gone to the doctor to figure that out.

“That's what Magnus suggested. Except I have no male friends they don't know, and I don't think I can afford to pay somebody to fake date me.” He sighed, rolling his neck to the side. It cracked. Maia winced. He smiled apologetically. 

“You've got Magnus.” 

“No.” Alec scoffed. He hopped down from his chair, moving over to a set of lights he had installed the other day. They were a gift from Jace, sent all the way from LA, and Alec had been messing with them since he got them. 

“Why not?” She asked, turning in her chair to face him as he sat down amongst the power cables from the new system. 

“Because,” Alec huffed, pulling at the cords of the light that wasn't working properly. “I hardly know him. We've had a maximum of twenty conversations in the four years we've known each other. What the hell am I supposed to say? ‘Hey, I know we don't really know each other very well, but do you wanna pretend to be my boyfriend for two weeks and meet every single person who matters to me and then go back to hardly talking once we get home?’ It's not gonna happen Maia.” 

“If you don't ask him I will.” She declared. 

He looked up at her, his eyes wide, and she smirked, downing the rest of her drink, slamming the bottle down on the table and sprinting from the room. “Maia!” he called after her, standing up as quickly as he could without tripping on the cables he was fiddling with. 

Maia had already knocked by the time he had reached the door, grabbing the frame quickly to stop himself from barreling into the wall. He glared at her and she smirked at him over her shoulder. 

Magnus opened the door slightly, widening it when he saw who it was. “Maia. What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you so soon, considering it's been,” he looked at his expensive watch again, smiling st Maia when he brought his eyes up. “Fifteen minutes since I last saw you.” 

“Alec wants you to be his fake boyfriend.” Maia said, foregoing any conversation that could lead up to the request. 

Alec's eyes widened when Magnus looked over her shoulder at him. He made a mental note to murder Maia when he got her back into his studio. “I'd be honoured Alexander. I have a client on the way but I'll stop by and discuss the details with you once I'm done, alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah that um, that sounds great.” Alec stuttered, and Magnus smiled again before waving at Maia and closing the door. She spun around, grinning in satisfaction. 

Alec grabbed her arm, yanking her back into the studio. “I hate you.” 

“No you don't.” she smiled. 

It was almost noon before Magnus showed up. Maia had left about a half an hour before that, leaving Alec alone in his studio to mess with his lights. He heard the knocking at the door while he was back in the pile of chords, smiling a little to himself as he called for Magnus to come in. 

“My apologise for taking so long.” Magnus hummed, walking into the room. 

Alec smiled. “Don't worry about it.” 

“What are you working on?” 

Alec looked up, his hair falling in his eyes as he did so, and smiled at Magnus. “One of the lights isn't working properly, so I'm trying to get it fixed.” 

“Can I convince you to step away from your lights long enough to go for lunch? My treat.” Magnus smiled, holding out his hand for Alec to pull himself up. 

He narrowed his eyes, looking at Magnus suspiciously. He gave him an innocent smile and Alec laughed, untangling his legs from the cords and taking his hand, letting Magnus pull him to his feet. He brushed off his jeans, shoved his hair out of his face, and turned back to Magnus, who was looking at him with an odd expression on his face. “What?” he asked, moving to the table to grab his phone and wallet, stuffing them in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. 

“It's nothing,” Magnus smiled, holding out his arm. “Shall we?” 

Alec chuckled, linking his arm through Magnus’s. “We shall.” 

Magnus took him to a small diner not too far from the office. It was sporting an incredible aesthetic and Alec was itching to take photos of everything he saw. He made a mental note to come back and ask about doing an article about it some time just to get the chance to take some photos of the interior. Magnus slid into one of the booths in the back corner, leaving Alec to slide in the other side when he stopped gawking at the restaurant. 

He slid in across from him, a grin on his face. “This place is so cool.” 

Magnus chuckled, patting Alec's arm where it was resting on the table. “I figured you'd love it.” 

“Why?” he asked, leaning forwards on the table as he looked around the room, the smile still present on his face. 

Magnus shrugged, leaning back and playing with the edge of his sleeve. “No reason.” He seemed nervous, and Alec wondered what he had to be nervous about before he remembered the entire reason they were going to lunch together in the first place. 

“You know if you don't want to do the whole fake boyfriend thing, you don't have to.” Alec said, grabbing Magnus’s forearm. 

He looked up, his eyes wide, and his mouth slowly spread into a grin. He shook his head, bits of his hair falling into his eyes. “I meant it when I said I was honoured. I'd love to pretend to be your boyfriend. We just need to discuss what that would entail.” 

Alec nodded. “Right. Yeah.” 

The waitress walked over, smiling at the two of them, and pulled a pen out of her bun. “What can I get you two gentlemen today?” She asked. 

Alec glanced briefly at the menu he had been given, scanning the first page to see what they had on it. He hadn't even bothered to look when he'd sat down. 

“I'll have a double cheese with fries and a chocolate milkshake please.” Magnus smiled, handing over his menu. 

The waitress smiled and nodded, writing his order down quickly, and turned her attention to Alec. “And you?” 

“Can I get the a BLT with onion rings and a vanilla milkshake please?” he said, hoping desperately that all the things he ordered were actually on the menu. 

“Coming right up.” She smiled, clicking her pen and sticking it back into her hair before walking away. 

Alec let out a breath and Magnus laughed, the sound only increasing when Alec glared at him. They talked idly about themselves, what was going on with work and such, as they waited for their food. Magnus told Alec about his travels and Alec told Magnus about his. They shared personal things about each other they deemed they should know if they were going to pull off the whole fake dating thing. They stopped talking as much as their food arrived, both choosing to eat quicker and get to the important part of the conversation sooner. 

Magnus finished his food, wiping his hands and face with his napkin. “So, boyfriend, tell me all I need to know about this trip.” 

“We're going to my sisters wedding.” Alec supplied. 

Magnus nodded. “I gathered as much.” 

“My entire family will be there, as well as all our friends and any she's made since I last saw her, and all of Clary's family. Most of Jace's family will probably be there too, and most likely a lot of Simon's. You're gonna be meeting everyone who has ever meant something to me,” Alec explained, breathing deeply as he looked back up. “I'd understand if you change your mind.” 

Magnus huffed out a laugh, grabbing a fry from his tray. “I love a challenge, Alexander. So, tell me about the family.” 

“There's my mom, mom's boyfriend Luke, Izzy, and my little brother Max. He's only nine, but he'll ruin your life if you let him,” Alec said, smiling fondly at the thought of his little brother. “Simon and Jace are my best friends from school, may as well be my brothers. Clary doesn't really have much for family, just her brother, Jonathan.” 

Magnus nodded, scooping one of Alec's onion rings and laughing when he sent him a playful glare. “Okay, sounds manageable.” 

“You should know I'm not expecting anything from you, Magnus. I've always been pretty affectionate with my boyfriend's in the past but we don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with.” Alec assured him, putting his hand lightly over Magnus’s on the table. 

Magnus scoffed, shifting his hand and linking his fingers with Alec's. “I can do affection, Alexander. Just you watch, I'll be the best damn fake boyfriend you've ever had.” 

“Sounds like a challenge.” Alec laughed. 

“I told you, I love a good challenge.” 

“My favourite colour is blue,” Alec said suddenly after a moment of comfortable, and Magnus’s eyebrow quirked up in confusion. “My favourite Disney movie is the Hunchback of Notre Dame and I'd prefer a night of watching it and other movies instead of going to a bar. I really like hugging people and I'm really being on physical affection. I take photos of almost everything that I see sometimes and go out for walks far too often to do so. I just figured you should know all that, if you're gonna be my boyfriend.”

Magnus smiled, stealing one of Alec's remaining onion rings. “My favourite colour is maroon. My mother killed herself when I was nine years old. I've been to every single pride event in New York in the past five years and I spent more time at bars and clubs than I do anywhere else. I have a strong love for cats, I own one, and I'm the best goddamn godfather any child has ever had.” 

Alec chuckled at the last comment, lightly running his thumb along the metal of one of Magnus’s rings where their hands were still linked. “I'm sorry about your mother,” he said, and Magnus simply shook his head. Alec guess it was something he didn't like to talk about when he didn't respond. “But what is this you say about being the best godfather?” 

“My god daughter, Madzie, I love her so much. Here,” Magnus smiled. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, fiddling with it for a second, before he turned it around. It showed a picture of himself and a little girl, no older than five, ice cream in hand as they sat on a park bench. Alec grinned, looking up at Magnus, and he pulled his phone back. “I spoil her rotten but she deserves it,” he cast his eyes down at his expensive watch and sighed. “I have to go.” 

Alec straightened in his seat, pulling his hand away from Magnus’s. “Okay.” 

“It's nothing personal I just, clients, you know and I-" he rambled. 

Alec cut him off. “I get it Magnus,” he smiled softly at the other man. “You've got work to do. I'll text you later and we'll talk some more, yeah?” 

“I'd love that.” Magnus grinned. 

“Me too.” 

Magnus sighed again, pulling himself up from his seat and stretching. Alec followed after him, making sure to leave a tip for the waitress. He followed Magnus outside, breathing in deeply as the mid October air hit his lungs. “This was nice.” 

“This was,” Magnus agreed, turning back to Alec to grin at him. “I'll see you soon, Alexander.” 

“I'll see you soon.” Alec replied, and he watched Magnus as he walked off. They were headed to the same place and, really, they could have walked together, but Alec still needed to buy the girls wedding gifts and that afternoon seemed as good a time as any. He stepped out into the street, walking calmly for once through the crowded area on the crosswalk, and his thoughts drifted back to Magnus Bane. The next two weeks were going to be interesting to say the least.


	2. Meet The Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you guys making out or can I come in?” Max asked from the other side of the door. 
> 
> Alec laughed. “You can come in hermano.” 
> 
> Max didn't have to be told twice, throwing open the door and bounding in, jumping up onto the bed and throwing his arms around his brother. “I can't believe somebody finally wanted to date you.” 
> 
> His comment startled a laugh out of Magnus, something that seemed to be happening a lot since he arrived. He held out his hand for Max to shake. “I'm Magnus Bane, the man who actually wanted to date your brother.” 
> 
> Max took his hand, his head held high as he shook it. “I'm Max. If you hurt my brother I'll kill you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any grammatical/spelling errors that you find :)

Four days after his impromptu decision to fake date Magnus Bane, Alec found himself in a Brooklyn airport, sleep deprived and suffering at four in the morning. Maia had run off to grab them some coffee while they waited on Magnus and, really, if the man didn't get here soon the plane was going to be leaving without him. He sighed, sliding further down in his chair, tapping his foot as he waited. His phone was plugged into the wireless charger Maia had spent four months saving up for, and he didn't want to risk the chance of it actually finishing charging, so he kept it where it was. He played with the zipper on his jacket, tying and untying his shoes a few times and, really, what was taking Magnus so long? As if summoned by his worries of missing their flight Magnus strolled up to him, sparkling black suitcase dragging behind him. He lacked his usual makeup and hair products but looked no less put together, his smile portraying someone far too happy and content to be awake at this ungodly hour. “Good morning darling.” He hummed, seating himself down on the bench next to Alec. 

“You're late.” He grumbled in response, sinking further down into his seat. 

His friends seemed to be attracted to his misery, he decided as Maia walked back from wherever she had been getting coffee. She eyed Magnus, a cup of coffee in each hand, and sat down instantly. “I'm not going back to get you any.” She huffed, handing a cup over to Alec. 

He smiled gratefully, taking a large sip, moaning at the nice feeling of the caffeine waking him up. It wasn't doing it's job yet, but the mere idea that it could be was enough to make him sigh in relief, taking another swig. 

“I'm surprised you managed to get me a ticket on your flight.” Magnus hummed, drumming his fingers on the back of his phone where it was resting on his leg. The sharp sounds of his nails hitting it felt like they were drilling into Alec's skull. 

“I didn't,” he sighed. “I changed our flight.” 

“Why on earth would you do that?” Magnus gasped. 

He shrugged. “There were no available seats on our original one. This was the best we could get.” 

“Our original flight was at ten.” Maia grumbled, clearly unhappy with the change. 

“I could have gotten a different flight.” Magnus sounded shocked by the idea that Alec would change his flight and wake up so early in the morning for him. 

“It would be a really bad start to our fake relationship if I turned up without you.” Alec defended. 

Magnus sighed, clearly defeated, and sunk down lower in his seat to wait out the rest of the time until their flight. Alec hadn't slept the night before, and he coffee in his hand was truly the only thing keeping him going. He'd gotten slammed with a ton of bills the day before, working overly hard on editing photos to make up for the time he'd be losing once he was out of the state. The money was important, Alec knew that, and not for the first time he'd been struck by how much better things would be for him money wise if he'd stayed at home and never moved to New York.

“Tell me more about your family.” Magnus prompted, shifting in his seat to face Alec. How he managed to fit his body into such a small space and still look comfortable Alec would never know. It probably had an awful lot to do with how long his legs were, but he brushed it off. 

“What is there to know?” he asked, sipping st his coffee instead of taking large gulps now that he wasn't as desperate for caffeine. 

Magnus shrugged, leaning back slightly. “How old are they, what do they do, do they have any weird hobbies I should worry about. That sort of stuff.” 

“Um,” Alec scratched st the back of his neck, trying to think of what he should say. “Well, Izzy is twenty two, she's studying to be some sort of scientist. I've never really understood her field of interest. Clary is twenty one, she's an artist, paints things for people and makes stupid amounts of money selling them. Luke used to be a cop but now he owns a bookstore, and my mom is a part time waitress at a restaurant, but she doesn't really work much.” 

Magnus nodded, clearly satisfied with what he learned. Alec tuned out most of the rest of the morning, including everything from the wall to the plane, the cramp in his legs as he tried to sit in the too close airplane seats, the fact that he'd had about four too many coffees for it to be healthy. By the time they reached the nearest airport to Idris, which was at least another half an hour drive away, Alec was completely and utterly done. He wasted no time in finding his bag once he could, grabbing Magnus’s and Maia’s for them as well, and looked around the area for any sign of whoever was supposed to be picking them up. 

“Do you see anyone you recognize?” Magnus asked, coming to stand beside him. 

Alec was using his height to his advantage, trying to spot someone he knew in the crowd. He had absolutely no idea who would be coming to pick him up, different people running everywhere that day to pick up others from different places. He assumed it would be either Luke or his mom, and his suspicions were proven correct when he spotted the familiar dark skin and kind eyes of his mother's boyfriend. “Found him.” 

He pulled his bag behind him as he walked, dodging between people with ease as he approached the man. Magnus and Maia were done here behind him, trying to pass through clumps of people with the same ease proving difficult when you weren't as tall and physically imposing. “Luke!” he called out, causing more than one head to turn in his direction. 

Luke smiled brightly at him upon seeing him, waving him over to where he was standing. Alec made it over to him in record time, dropping his bags on the floor and twisting so that his back cracked. He apologized quickly when Luke winced. “Hey kiddo. How are you?” Luke laughed, pulling Alec into a hug.

He felt all the tension he'd accumulated in his body through the day ease out of his body as he hugged him back. “My legs are fucking killing me.” 

Luke laughed at that, letting Alec go and patting him lightly on his shoulder. “Maia!” he cheered, pulling the small girl into a hug when she approached him.

“Hey Luke.” she sighed, burying her face in his chest. She let out a sigh that summed up how Alec felt upon being back close to his family. 

“And who's this?” he asked when he drew back from Maia, an eyebrow raised as he took in Magnus’s shiny and colourful appearance. 

“I'm Magnus, Alec's boyfriend.” he introduced himself, hesitating a big before saying boyfriend. He held out his hand towards Luke.   
He shook it, his eyebrow still raised as he looked between Alec and Magnus. Alec felt panic start to settle into his chest. Did Magnus hesitate too long before saying he was his boyfriend? Did like not believe that he was his boyfriend? If their cover was already blown how was Alec supposed to explain himself? “You better treat this boy right.” Luke finally said, letting go of Magnus’s hand. 

“Of course sir.” Magnus nodded. 

He laughed, clapping Magnus on the back before taking one of his bags from him and another from Maia. “Call me Luke. Come on, we've still gotta drive back.”

“I call shotgun!” Maia declared, throwing both her hands in the air.

“Bitch.” Alec scoffed, shoving her shoulder as they walked out. 

Luke had parked shockingly close to the front. How he was able to get such a good parking spot was beyond them. Others trying to find places to park where presumably very unhappy with the large truck taking up one of the parking spaces, but Luke didn't seem to care. He tossed Magnus and Maia’s bags in the back before rounding to the front and sliding into the driver's seat. Alec hopped up onto the back wheel to better secure them, placing his own in the back be for turning back to the other two to grab their remaining luggage. 

“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at Magnus. He was looking at him oddly, an expression on his face he couldn't place. 

“Nothing,” he said, handing over his suitcase. “Nothing at all.”

Alec shrugged, hopping off the tire and stretching. His shoulder cracked. Like always, Magnus winced. He opened the door, gesturing for Magnus to get in, nd the man smiled happily at him as he slid inside. Alec moved in after him, closing the door and settling down next to him in the back. They did up their seatbelts, complained to Luke about his music choice, and the truck set off. Alec fell asleep exactly five minutes into the drive, his head falling onto Magnus’s shoulder as his eyes closed. He couldn't find it in himself to care when Magnus lightly ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Alec, Alec!” 

He groaned, shuffling so his face was pressed further into Magnus’s shoulder. 

“Alexander, you've got to get up sweetheart.” Magnus laughed, shaking his shoulder slightly. 

“Don't wanna.” He mumbled, shaking Magnus’s hand off his shoulder. 

“We're here Alec.” Maia sighed, hitting him on the back of the head with a book. 

“Fuck you.” Alec groaned, sitting up and stretching the best he could in the back of a car. 

He looked out the window, smiling at the sight of his childhood home. It was smaller than most people thought it would be, probably the size of two of Alec's apartment put together. The outside looked like it needed work, which he'd probably be roped into doing while he was here. It was painted white and navy blue, the blue paint chipping slightly as it had been years since it was done. There was a large window on the front where their makeshift dining room that nobody used was, an old swing bench sitting on the porch outside it. Maia bounded up the stairs, knocking at the door, and Alec was struck by a sudden thought. 

“Shit.” He mumbled. 

Magnus looked up at him. “Problem? 

“There is someone I may have forgotten to mention.” Alec smiled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

He raised an eyebrow. “And who might that be?” 

“Is that my Alexander?” 

“Nana!” Alec called. A short, white haired old lady rushed out of the front door, pulling Alec down into a tight hug. He hardly had time to let go of his bag, bringing his arms up around the woman. 

“Look at you!” she gasped, pulling back and looking up at him. She reached up, pinching his cheeks and drawing his face down, placing a series of quick kisses across his face. 

“Nana.” Alec laughed, rubbing at the reddening spot on his face when she let him go. 

“You've gotten so tall,” she smiled, taking a step up onto the stairs so she could better match his height. “You need a haircut. And look at you, you're so skinny. Do you not have food in New York?” She fussed, poking over his abs with her fingers. 

Magnus shot Luke and amused glance over Alec's shoulder, and the man sighed, shaking his head. “Phoebe, let Alec get inside before you start fussing.” 

“I will fuss all I want Lucian,” she huffed, turning back to Alec with a bright smile on her face and pulling him into another hug. His back was bent in a way that was in no way comfortable, but he wasn't going to complain. He just pulled her closer, breathing in the warm scent that made him feel completely at home. Her eyes caught on Magnus over Alec's shoulder and she pulled away abruptly, eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “And who might you be? Hello, by the way, Maia.” she stopped her glaring to grin at the girl, who waved enthusiastically, before her eyes narrowed again as she focused back on Magnus. 

This woman was nearly a foot smaller than him and couldn't lift much without blowing out her back, yet Magnus still looked terrified when she looked at him. She seemed all too proud of herself for that. “Nana, this is Magnus,” Alec explained, stepping up beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder to draw some of her attention away from Magnus. “My boyfriend.” 

Phoebe stepped closer to Magnus, her eyes widening a little, and looked up at him. Magnus still looked like she was going to punch him in the face at any second, but the worry was proven useless when she stood up on her toes, dragging Magnus into a hug. “Welcome to the family Magnus!” Alec felt a twinge of guilt deep in his chest when Magnus awkwardly wrapped his arms around his grandmother. He was lying to his family, and for what? His plan didn't seem as fool proof anymore. “You're too skinny, both of you. Come inside, I'll make you some food.” Phoebe ordered, poking her fingers into Magnus’s stomach. He winced, but it was small, and Phoebe quickly grabbed his bag from him when he tried to take it in himself. 

“You can carry mine if you want?” Alec teased, stepping around Luke to wait for him to catch up.

Magnus scoffed. “In your dreams Alexander.” 

Alec laughed, slinging his arm around Magnus’s shoulders. He curled into his side a bit and Alec had to bite the inside of his cheek to suppress a smile. It turned out to be a worthless effort however when they stepped inside the house and Magnus practically squealed, eyes landing on Church, the family cat, sprawled out across the back of the couch. He couldn't suppress his grin at the sight of the excited shine in his eyes as he looked up at Alec. “You didn't tell me you had a cat!” 

“Be careful, he's old and grouchy. He only likes the Lightwoods and, more specifically, Alec.” Maia warned. She'd migrated to the kitchen and was sitting on one of the mismatched bar stools eating from the bowl of grapes that never seemed to be empty. 

The inside of the house was a lot like the outside, small and not the most aesthetically pleasing upon first seeing it. The kitchen and living room were basically one and the same, the area between small enough that you could sit in one and still be an active part of a discussion happening in the other. The furniture matched in its own odd way, all differing shades of brown and black, but the generally concept of matching colours was overthrown by the assortment of pillows and blankets in other, less deliberate colours thrown on chairs and the back of the couch. A large bookcase took up the entire back wall with a space in the middle for the tv to rest. Family photos were scattered around the area seemingly at random, but it held the Lightwood family charm. There was a deck Alec, Jace, and Jonathan had impulsively built one summer during high school off the back door that fit more people than their actual living room, a staircase winding up towards their rooms. It was their house, as collective and unorganized as the Lightwood family itself, and none of them would have it any other way. 

Alec always felt at home when he was here. He made a point of coming back as often as he could, dragging Maia with him if she had the same amount of free time. His family quickly accepted her with open arms. Luke had started referring to her as his sort of daughter and even though she'd never admit it Alec knew how much it meant to her and how happy being with his family made her. They would do the same thing with Magnus, he realized, and another stab of guilt hit him. A few weeks after they went home he'd have to tell them he broke up with Magnus. Watching him bant back and forth with Luke, trying to get close enough to Church to pet him without getting his hand scratched, that idea seemed a lot harder than it had four days ago. 

“Where's mom?” he asked, desperate to drag himself from his own thoughts. 

“She went to pick up Simon,” Luke said, scooping up everyone's bags where they'd dropped them. “Are you good in Izzy’s old room Maia?” 

Maia nodded, shoving another grape into her mouth. “I can take my bag, Luke.” 

“I can take it too.” He countered, a clear challenge in his eyes. 

“Did Max go with Maryse or is he sleeping?” Phoebe asked, poking her head around the corner from the kitchen. 

A fond smile crossed Luke’s face. “He was really excited about seeing an airport for the first time. He demanded he go with her.” 

“Sounds like our Max.” Maia smiled. 

Magnus walked up beside Alec, sliding his arm around his waist as he cuddled up against him. “Who's Max?” he mumbled, loud enough for Alec to hear but quiet enough to go unheard by the rest of the people in the room. 

Alec drew Magnus closer, tipping his head closer to him. “Little brother. Nine. Looks almost exactly like me but bald.” 

He raised an eyebrow at the bald part but didn't question it. Nine year old kids made lots of weird decisions, shaving their heads wasn't the oddest he'd seen. 

“Stop flirting and come eat some soup!” Phoebe called to them. 

Alec rolled his eyes but obeyed anyways, grabbing Magnus’s hand and pulling him with him to the kitchen. He sat down on the bar stool Maia had previously been occupying, his hand dropping Magnus’s to better his ability to eat when he sat down on the stool beside him. Phoebe pushed a large bowl of soup in front of them both and Alec smiled gratefully, grabbing his spoon and immediately shoveling some into his mouth. He'd missed breakfast that morning and didn't want to waste the money to buy some so he was beyond hungry, shoveling spoonfuls of soup into his mouth quickly. His grandma poured more in his bowl as he ate and he gave her a lopsided grin between spoonfuls. 

“Jesus kid, when was the last time you ate?” Luke laughed, clapping Alec on the shoulder as he walked past, grabbing a beer from the fridge. He held it up towards Alec, who nodded, and grabbed a second before shutting the fridge. 

Alec swallowed, resisting the urge to immediately take another spoonful so he could actually and we the man. “Last night.” 

Phoebe gave an offended gasp and he patted Magnus on the back when he nearly choked on his soup, a startled laugh leaving his throat once he swallowed. “You need to eat boy!” 

“I meant to,” Alec promised, shoveling a spoonful into his mouth. He bowed his head a little as the woman stared at him. “I did.” He promised. 

“You will eat everything I give you while you're here. No exceptions.” she sighed, wiping her hands off on a dish towel and staking out of the room, grumbling about youth and their strange habits under her breath as she left. Luke laughed, following after her, leaving Magnus and Alec to eat their soup in peace. 

That peace lasted about two minutes before a loud shouting rang out through the house. “Guess who's home fuckers!” 

“Watch your language!” Phoebe called back almost immediately, walking quickly out of the living room to pull people into hugs. 

Jace managed to dodge around her when she went to hug Simon, dropping his bag next to the couch and stopping next to the couch. “There's my favourite gay.” 

“Jace!” Alec said happily, dropping his spoon and sliding off his chair quickly. 

Jace held out his arms to catch Alec in a hug, having to stand on his toes to properly meet his height. “In the flesh.” 

“Mi hijo!” a woman called out, and Alec stepped away from his friend to spin around and hug her when she approached. 

“Mama!” he grinned, holding her tightly to his chest as she hugged him. 

“Oh look at you,” she grinned, pulling him in even closer. “You've gotten taller.” 

“There he is!” another excited voice called, and Alec shot Simon a grin over his mother's shoulder. 

The two participated in an quick handshake, yanking each other into hugs afterwards. Maia and Luke were pulled into hugs by Alec's family, Church winding between people's legs as they greeted each other. Magnus stood back awkwardly, not wanting to get in the way of their family time. He was smiling though, his heart swelling at the sight of Alec, grinning more than Magnus had ever seen him in the years he'd known him. It was a sight to behold, the Lightwood family and the children they'd practically adopted, greeting each other like it had been years since they’d seen one another and chatting like they saw each other yesterday. 

“Hey, who's he?” someone called out. People stopped talking quickly, looking to the small boy to see who he was shouting about. “Him!” Max said, pointing at Magnus where he stood by the island. 

Alec smiled sheepishly at him. In his excitement he'd momentarily forgotten Magnus was there at all, too excited to see his family to remember to introduce him. “This is Magnus,” He said, taking a few steps towards him, still facing his family. His hand found Magnus’s quickly and he laced their fingers together. “He's my boyfriend.” 

“Oh Dios mío,” Maryse gasped, laughing happily. “Well it's about time!” 

The room erupted into noise again, which clearly shocked Magnus, as his mother walked up to him and pulled him down by his shoulders. She studied him for a minute, looking him over like one would with something they were going to buy, before she nodded in satisfaction. She patted Magnus on the chest, pulling him into a brief hug, clearly liking whatever it was she saw. Alec wasn't quite sure, but he assumed she was assessing how good for his son he was. He found it sweet, his mother constantly wanting to make sure his partners were worthy of him, though he was mildly embarrassed for Magnus. She moved on to hug her mother in law, letting others come over to greet Magnus.

“So you're the guy who finally got Alec to date again, eh?” Jace mused, draping an arm casually around Magnus. 

“That would be me blondie.” He responded, not at all phased by the tough act he was clearly trying to put on. 

“You seem cool, I like you, but let me tell you something,” he said, turning so he was in front of Magnus, his hand on his shoulder. “I'm never gonna let anyone hurt him, okay?” 

“It seems we agree on that.” Magnus hummed. He locked eyes with Jace, the two sharing a nod of mutual respect and understanding, before Alec had finally decided he had had enough of the battle of egos going on in front of him and pulled Jace away by his collar. 

“That's enough Jace.” He sighed, and Jace laughed, clapping him on the back.

“Don't look so put out. I'm joking. Mostly.” He smiled, winking quickly before turning around and rushing to give Phoebe a hug. 

“Dios mío.” Alec sighed, rubbing his hand down his face.

Simon patted him lightly on the back in response. “I feel ya. Living with him is worse. Maybe you two should go unpack, get some peace and quiet before the girls get here?” he suggested. 

“Yeah,” Alec breathed, messing with Simon's hair affectionately. “We'll go do that.” He grabbed Magnus’s hand, pulling him behind him up the stairs. 

“It was nice meeting you!” he called to Simon as he was pulled away. The boy laughed, giving him a thumbs up in response, and Magnus seemed to take it as good enough as he turned back around to properly walk up the stairs. He let Alec all but drag him up and the stairs and shove him into his room when the reached it, leaning against it and letting out a long breath. 

His room looked exactly the same as it had when he left. Not a thing had changed in the six years since he lived in the house, every surface clearly having been dusted frequently. His bed was made, both suitcases and bags laying on the black surface. He studied Magnus as he took in the room, took in all the he was suddenly learning about Alec. From the Slytherin banner hanging above his bed to the pride flag tacked to the wall next to his desk, the shelves lined with books and his old TV, everything in the room screamed Alec Lightwood. The grey walls were full of tiny holes from years of moving tacks and Alec noted that his calendar had been taken down, replaced with one that showed the correct month and year. He smiled sadly at the thought of his mother flipping it on the first of every month, switching them on new years every year. 

Magnus turned to face him, a dumb grin covering his face. “We're in the same Hogwarts house.” 

Alec laughed, the sound turning into a sigh at the end, and he sunk down onto the bed, dropping his head and staring at the shoes he'd never taken off. “I'm sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” Magnus asked, sitting carefully down next to him, one leg folded under his body.

“For them,” Alec huffed, featuring towards the door. “They can be a bit much, I'm sorry.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for. They're all lovely people,” Magnus laughed. Alec leaned back, his head falling onto the collection of pillows behind him. Magnus looked down at him fondly. “You look just like your mother.” 

Magnus was right. Alec had been told often times that he looked so much like his mom. They had the same dark hair, The same facial structure. Her eyes were brown in comparison to his blue ones, but she smiled the same and had the same prominent cheekbones and sharp jaw. All three of her kids ended up looking more like their mother than their father. Max and Alec could pass for twins if they were in the same age range, and he and Izzy had often said they were twins to confuse people back in high school. Alec had gotten his blue eyes out of nowhere, none of the other members of his family having them, but they all had a similar colouring to their mother with their tan skin and dark hair, although Max didn't have any at the moment. 

Being back home was reminding Alec of a lot of things. It always did. It brought back memories of his childhood, memories of him and Izzy running around in the back garden, of him and Simon climbing trees in the town square. They used to get ice cream at a shop their friend Meliorns dad owned and bought coffee from Java Jones as they got older. They studied for test in the small library and played ball hockey in the streets. Alec loved it their. Idris would always be his home, no matter how much he tried to get used to the New York lifestyle. It wasn't the same. A city didn't have the same atmosphere as a town, and the change had been drastic for him. He couldn't walk from one end of the town to the other in an hour anymore. He had to take busses and subways and do things he had never had to do before. And he hated it. Every time he was back in Idris he felt the same violent urge to move back home clawing at his chest, getting bigger and stronger the more he tried to suppress it. 

“Are you guys making out or can I come in?” Max asked from the other side of the door. 

Alec laughed. “You can come in hermano.” 

Max didn't have to be told twice, throwing open the door and bounding in, jumping up onto the bed and throwing his arms around his brother. “I can't believe somebody finally wanted to date you.” 

His comment startled a laugh out of Magnus, something that seemed to be happening a lot since he arrived. He held out his hand for Max to shake. “I'm Magnus Bane, the man who actually wanted to date your brother.” 

Max took his hand, his head held high as he shook it. “I'm Max. If you hurt my brother I'll kill you.” 

Somehow, Magnus looked more threatened by this nine year old than he had by Jace, who could easily kill Magnus if he wanted to. “I believe it.” 

Max nodded, pulling his hand away from Magnus’s, and jumped off the bed. “Izzy texted mom, she should be here any second.” 

As if on cue, Isabelle Lightwood shouted from downstairs. “Where the hell is my brother?” 

Alec grinned, standing up and rushing from the room quickly, Max on his heels and Magnus walking at a much more respectable speed behind him. “Iz!” he grinned. 

“Hermano mayor!” she shouted, rushing towards him and throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off the floor, staggering a bit from the force of the hug. She laughed as he spun her around in a circle, burying her face in his neck. Alec carefully put her back down, the tips of her toes barely touching the ground as she held onto him, the two of them swaying where they stood. 

“I missed you so much.” He mumbled into her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he pulled away. 

Clary walked up to him next, having gone through the motions of hugging everyone else in the room while Alec and Izzy did theirs, and pulled him into a much softer and shorter hug than he fiancé had. “So, where's this boyfriend of yours?” She teased, and Izzy’s eyes lit up as she pulled away from hugging Luke. 

“That would be me,” Magnus smiled, stepping down the last few stairs from where he'd been leaning against the railing and extending his hand for one of the girls to take. “I'm Mag-" 

“Magnus Bane.” Izzy finished for him, her eyes wide in awe as she shook his hand. 

He gave her a confident smile. “You've heard of me?” 

“Heard of you?” Clary scoffed, shaking his hand when Izzy dropped it. “She's practically obsessed.”

Izzy turned to her brother and smacked him on the back of the head. “Why didn't you tell me you were dating the Magnus Bane?!” 

“It never really came up I guess.” Alec replied, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly. He at least had the decency to look sorry. 

Izzy hit him again. “Alexander Gideon Lightwood!” 

“You people are all too enthusiastic to be awake at six thirty.” Max grumbled. 

Alec laughed, patting his brother on the head. “I agree.” 

“Mijo!” Maryse called, walking back over to where her children had gathered. 

“Yes mama?” 

“You should take Magnus on a tour of the town,” she suggested, placing her hand gently on Magnus’s arm. “Get out of the house for the day.” 

Alec opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by Izzy speaking before he could. “That's a great idea hermano! We should take him to Java Jones, and to Luke’s store!” 

“Looks like that's settled.” Magnus laughed, grabbing at Alec's arm to pull him closer. 

“Jace! Simon! Maia! We're going out wanna come?” Clary called. 

Jace popped his head out of the kitchen, half a piece of pizza stuffed in his mouth, and nodded. He pulled Simon out of the kitchen with him, and Maia headed over to the door from her spot on the couch. 

“You wanna come?” Alec asked, looking down at his little brother. 

Max shook his head, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned. “I'm gonna go back to bed.” 

“Alright buddy.” Alec chuckled, patting his shoulder before he departed for his room. 

“Be back by dinner please!” Maryse called after them. 

Alec gave her a thumbs up, pulling Magnus out of the house with him, and the group departed for town square.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't speak Spanish so I'm sorry if some of the translations are incorrect. I consulted one of my family members who speaks Spanish but she may have been wrong about some of them. How are you guys feeling about this chapter? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Do you really just not care? Comment, tell me your opinions and thoughts and theories and questions. I'll do my best to answer you without spoiling things.


	3. Lofty Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, what do you do for a living?” Luke asked him. 
> 
> Magnus shrugged. “I run a fashion blog. I sell things on there, sometimes make my own pieces. It’s nothing special.”
> 
> Luke nodded, seemingly contemplating what Magnus had said. “I see. So, have you two had sex yet?”
> 
> Alec almost choked on his bread roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any grammatical/spelling errors that you find :)

“So, tell us about yourself Magnus!” Clary prompted him as they walked through the streets of Idris. Her hand was laced with Izzy’s, swinging them slightly between them as they walked. Jace had abandoned them soon after they left the house, saying something about promising someone named Jonathan that he'd help him out with something. It had sounded boring and far too technical for Magnus to be interested, and he bid Jace goodbye without a single clue where he was actually going. Simon and Maia had ducked into a cafe for breakfast as neither had eaten yet, claiming they'd meet up with them later that day. That left the four of them, the real couple and the fake one. Magnus was getting more nervous by the second. 

“What do you want to know?” he asked, twisting his rings around on his fingers. It was a stupid nervous habit that he couldn't grow out of. Catarina often chastised him for it, but he never listened when she told him to stop doing it. 

Clary grinned, slowing slightly so she could walk next to him. The sidewalks in Idris could comfortably fit five people in a row, that had confused Magnus to no end. “What's your Hogwarts house?” 

“Slytherin.” Magnus said, not quite understanding why it was important.

“You're in the same house as Alec, that's so cute!” Izzy gushed, smiling happily at her brother. Alec rolled his eyes, but Magnus managed to catch sight of the small smile on his face. “Favourite Disney movie?” 

Magnus contemplated that for a moment, jumping between movies in his head trying to place a favourite. “The Little Mermaid.” He jammed his elbow into Alec's ribs when he snorted, much to the amusement of Izzy and Clary. Magnus found himself getting attached to the girls already, despite their short acquaintance so far. 

“Favourite colour?” Clary asked. 

“Red,” Magnus said quickly, but took it back soon after. “Actually, gold. Or maybe green. Or blue. You know, I’m not sure I have one.” 

Izzy grinned at him, leaning forwards so she could look at him around Clary. “How did my brother manage to interest you? Did he pay you? He's probably paying you.” 

Magnus could feel Alec tense a big next to him, his own mind whirling with thoughts of already being found out by the person they were lying for, but when Izzy started laughing he knew they were in the clear. He laughed as well, reaching over towards Alec and linking his arm through his. “There was just something about him, I couldn't get enough of him. If anything, I think I'd be the one paying him.” 

Magnus grinned up at Alec, who looked back down at him with a soft smile. It was acting, he had to remind himself of that. They weren't a couple, weren't dating. This was never going to be real. He could hear Izzy coo at him and her brother, saying things about how soft they were, and guilt started pooling in his gut. He looked away from Alec again, the hand on his bicep squeezing a little bit tighter. Alec seemed to understand, reaching over with his unoccupied hand and brushing some hair out of his face, flashing Magnus a small smile. 

“You two are too cute for me, I'm done, I can't.” Izzy laughed, holding up her unoccupied hand as a show of surrender. 

“Guys, Luke's shop is open! We should go in!” Clary gasped, pulling on Izzy’s hand enthusiastically, practically dragging the girl towards a brick building in the middle of a row of similar shops. 

He'd been so occupied with the conversation they were having Magnus nearly digit where they were heading or what they were doing. They'd reached the town ce tee during their interrogation of Magnus’s personality that he hoped had lead them somewhere, and be was suddenly reminded of how different small towns were from the city he'd grown up in. The buildings were all close together, signs outside saying what was inside. There was a cafe with a bench outside it's window and the smell of cinnamon wafting from it, people walking through the streets with cups of coffee and talking amongst each other. A group of kids was playing soccer in the road, moving out of the way for the very occasional car that would drive through, their mothers all sitting on the edge of a fountain near the centre of town. 

“Magnus, hey, you okay?” Alec asked, placing a hand gently on Magnus’s shoulder. 

He smiled, nodding, and turned back to look at him. He was still holding onto Alec's arm. The man had clearly stopped walking when he did. He was watching Magnus carefully as if he was trying to find what was wrong by studying him long enough. Izzy and Clary were no longer with them, probably already in the store. “I'm perfect darling.” He assured him, placing a hand gently on his chest. 

Alec smiled, but he still look unsure. “You're sure?” 

“Positive,” Magnus smiled. He slid his hand down Alec's arm to intertwine their fingers, letting Alec guide him into the store the girls had gone into. “What's so special about this store?” 

“It's Luke's bookstore. He has this little thing, it's really sweet, every few months he asks us for an updated list of our ten favourite books and he puts them in a big display at the back.” Alec explained, swinging their joined hands a little as they walked. He pushed the door open, nodding at Magnus to go in first. 

He smiled a little, stepping into the store. A feeling of content spread through his body quickly as he looked around at the shelves and couches that gave the building a very homey feel. Alec smiled, pulling Magnus’s hand lightly to get him to follow him. He went willingly, letting Alec guide him through the store as he looked around them. There were lights on the high ceiling casting the room in a soft light, a myriad or different patterned cushions on beige sofas that Magnus was dying to sit on and see if they were as comfortable as they looked. 

His eyes caught on the display at the back Alec had been talking about and he stopped. Alec turned to look at him, a question in his eyes when Magnus dropped his hand, and the man walked towards the shelves. There were six shelves, each with the name and age of the person it represented on a neat label where there would usually be a letter for an author's name. ‘Alec-24’ was written on the label of the first, and consequently the highest, of the six shelves, and Magnus stood on his toes to try and read the titles of his ten books.

“You could have just asked me to tell you what my favourite books are.” Alec laughed, placing a hand on the small of Magnus’s back to steady him. 

Magnus spun around, grinning, and shot a quick wink at him. “Now where's the fun in that?” 

Alec laughed softly, brushing back a piece of Magnus’s hair that had fallen loose in his attempt to read the book titles. He reached up, plucking one off the shelf, and handed it to him. “This one is my all time favourite.” He said, smiling softly down at him. 

Magnus opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by a yell from up above them. “Magnus what kind of coffee do you want?” 

The few other people wanting about the store looked around, clearly trying to place who Magnus was and why he was being shouted at. Said man blushed, groaning and hiding his face in Alec's chest. Alec laughed, running his fingers through the hair on the back of his head for a moment before pulling away from him. He grabbed his hand, Magnus willing letting him pull him somewhere again. There was a spiraling wooden staircase at the back of the shop that Magnus was shocked he hadn't noticed before. Alec led him up it, a small loft like space at the top. Izzy and Clary were occupying one of the bean bag chairs lying along the floor of the area.

He collapsed down next to his sister, pulling Magnus down to rest between his legs. He was startled at first, but quickly realized that this was part of what Alec had explained. He was affectionate with his boyfriends, it was something Magnus would have to get used to. 

“You never answered me.” Izzy said, trying quickly on her phone, not bringing her eyes up from the device. 

Magnus cocked his head slightly. “I'm sorry?” 

“What kind of coffee do you want?” Izzy said, looking up and raising an eyebrow at him. 

He hummed. “I don't drink coffee. Green tea, please.” 

“Why don't you drink coffee?” Clary asked, spinning her engagement ring around on her finger. 

“I don't like the taste.” Magnus shrugged, leaning back further on Alec's chest. He hugged the book Alec had handed him to his own, skimming his finger up and down the back. 

“Simon and Maia are on their way.” Izzy smiled, putting her phone down and looking up at the other three again. She had a content look on her face, her dark eyes shining and her red lips pulled into a soft, kind smile. Magnus liked her. He really, really liked her. She was kind and sharp and witty, not to mention the fact that she dressed incredibly well. He wondered how she managed to walk around town in heels all day, her feet must ache at the end of the day. 

“Sup homos.” Jace said, throwing himself down on the beanbag next to Alec. The two engaged in some sort of handshake Magnus couldn't be bothered to pay attention to. 

“You've got great timing,” Clary told him, snuggling closer to Izzy. “Simon just texted that they're downstairs.” 

“Did I hear someone talking about me?” Simon laughed coming up the stairs, a tray of paper cups with Java Jones written on them in hand. Maia came up behind him, another two cups in a tray in her hands as well as a decently large bag with the same name. 

“We brought donuts.” She proclaimed, tossing the bag at Jace, who caught it eagerly. He opened it, pulling out two, and then passed the bag along. He handed one of the donuts he grabbed to Alec. 

Magnus made a noise of fake offense. “What about me blondie?” 

“Get your own donut.” Jace smirked, shoving half of his into his mouth. 

Alec rolled his eyes, but it lost all annoyance it may be trying to convey with the stupid dorky grin on his face. “Here,” he said, pulling a piece off his donut and pressing it to Magnus’s lips. He accepted the piece, giving Alec a closed mouth smile, and he heard Izzy coo at them. It seemed to be a common theme of the day for her. He turned his attention back to the others, catching the donut bag Clary threw his way, not missing the knowing smirk she had on her face. Of course. Clary knew this was fake, she must know that this behaviour wasn't a normal occurrence. He didn't think he'd ever had somebody feed him part of a donut before. Surprisingly, he didn't really mind. 

“How’s your music going Simon?” Alec asked. 

Just like that the group was thrown into conversation, jumping from topic to topic like it was nothing. They chatted like old friends, which they were, all falling into conversation so easily you wouldn’t think it had been four years since they last all saw each other. Magnus chose to avoid the majority of the conversation, letting the others talk while they just observed. He found his eyes wandering to Alec more than once, watching him and the happy, content smile he had on his face as he joked with his family. Because that’s what these people were to him, they were family. Magnus hadn’t known Alec all that well before all of this, they’d had minimal conversations and followed each other on Instagram, that was it. But he’d always noticed that everything Alec did seemed so stiff, so calculated. He seemed so guarded and defensive, never coming off as a warm, nice sort of guy. But here, watching Alec as he poked fun at Simon about his song titles, or listening with that content smile on his face as Izzy gushed about how nice everything for the wedding looked, he realized that wasn’t true. 

Magnus had never seen Alec look this happy, this relaxed. He’d known the man for four years, never once seeing him smile the way he was now. Sure, he seemed happy about seeing Maia or some of his other frequent clients, but it was never like this. He never smiled this wide, this much, he never joked and laughed the way he was now. Alec belonged here, Magnus realized with a start, he belonged with his sister and his friends, sitting in the loft of a bookstore drinking coffee and eating donuts from the store where he’d gotten his first job. He looked so at home it almost made him uncomfortable. Magnus felt like an intruder, like he didn’t deserve to be a part of the little bubble of happiness Alec had built for himself in Idris. This town was his home and Magnus should have no part of it. He wasn’t from here, he wasn’t really Alec’s boyfriend, and in a couple of weeks he’d never be a part of this again. He couldn’t get attached now, he was just setting himself up for heartbreak. 

“Jesus,” Izzy mumbled, looking out one of the windows. Magnus followed her gaze, eyes widening when he realized how dark it was getting. “We should get back, mom will flip if we’re late for dinner.”

“Maryse is gonna find something to flip about even if we’re on time.” Jace laughed, standing up with a grunt, grabbing Simon’s shoulder and hauling him to his feet. It startled Magnus for a moment before he remembered Jace was an athlete, he was stronger than him. 

Alec shuffled out from behind Magnus, pulling himself to his feet and offering him a hand to pull himself up as well. He smiled up at him, accepting his offer of help. He brushed off the small amounts of dust on his jeans, picking up his empty cup. 

“Dude, is that your basketball hoodie?” Simon asked Alec. He looked down at his sweater, shrugging, and Simon laughed. “How does that shit still fit?”

“I don’t think Alec’s grown since high school.” Clary teased. 

Alec raised an eyebrow at her, taking a step closer, and her eyes widened. She was protesting against something, whatever it was unknown to Magnus. Alec grabbed Clary by the waist, tossing her over his shoulder, and she shrieked in protest. He pretended to be about to drop her and she shrieked again. Izzy snapped a couple of photos on her phone, laughing at the antics of the others. “Okay hermano, put my almost wife down.”

Jace snorted.”Almost wife. I like that.”

“Change her contact name in your phone to ‘Almost Wife’ please.” Simon laughed, slinging his arm around Izzy’s shoulders. 

“Iz send me those pictures I wanna put them on my Instagram.” Clary laughed, clinging onto Alec to avoid falling as he set her down. 

Magnus smiled at the scene in front of him, his heart once again swelling with happiness that he crushed with the thought that this wasn’t his. He didn’t get to have this. He wasn’t really Alec’s boyfriend, this wasn’t something he got to keep. He had his own friends and his own life back in New York. The thought of going back home, of forgetting about the Lightwood family and their rambunctious group of friends, it was a lot more upsetting that it should be. 

“You okay?” Alec asked him, one of his hands finding his hip, his thumb rubbing smooth circles over his shirt. 

Magnus smiled up at him. “Just peachy.”

“I’m getting angry texts from Maryse, we should head out.” Clary said. Magnus turned his attention back to her in time to see her pocket her phone. 

“Let’s bounce. I’m sure Luke’s employees have had enough of us for a lifetime.” Jace joked. 

Magnus was still hugging the book Alec gave him to his chest, and he turned to the younger man, looking up at him with slightly wide eyes. “I never payed for this.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Alec smiled, taking one of Magnus’s hands off the book to lace his fingers with his, following the others out of the loft. “I’ll give Luke a twenty when we get back.”

They talked about everything and anything as they walked back to the house, the fifteen minutes passing much to fast for Magnus’s taste. They were greeted by a much more energetic Max than earlier when they reached the house, the boy throwing himself at his brother, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. Alec laughed, patting Max on the head, and shot a look Magnus couldn’t quite understand to Izzy. He figured whatever it was was something just for them, so he didn’t pry.

“Let them come in side Max.” Maryse laughed from behind the boy. 

Magnus smiled at her, watching as Max ran back into the house and the group started to file in. Alec did as he promised, passing Luke a twenty when he sat down at the table. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, pocketing the bill. Magnus wondered if this was as common of an occurrence as it seemed. “Uh, where can I-” He stuttered out, looking around the table for somewhere to sit. 

“You can sit beside me dear.” Maryse smiled, patting the seat of the chair next to her. 

He smiled gratefully, sitting down beside her and across from Alec, shooting him a wink across the table. He laughed lightly. Maryse looked between the two, an unreadable expression on her face, but she didn’t say anything. Phoebe brought out dish after dish, setting them down on the table and smiling when the boys immediately dug in. Alec and Jace looked like they were competing to see who could fit more food on their plate, both of them eating happily as they chatted with Luke about the new titles in the bookstore. Izzy sent him a look that conveyed vague disgust and he laughed, watching with curiosity when Phoebe set down a completely different plate just for Cary. 

“She’s a vegetarian.” Maryse explained quietly, having seen Magnus’s interested expression. He nodded in understanding, digging into his own plate of food. 

“So, Magnus,” Luke said, bringing everyone’s attention to him at the other end of the table. “I assume you’ve already been given the sibling interrogation.”

Magnus laughed and nodded. “That I have.”

“They never ask the right questions,” Phoebe scoffed. “That’s why Alec ended up with such bad boyfriends in school.”

Alec groaned, clearly remembering whatever it was she was talking about. “Why did none of you tell me he had a girlfriend before I started dating?”

“In our defense, it took us months to realize he had one.” Izzy defended, pointing her fork at her brother. 

Max cocked his head in confusion. “I thought he was gay, he was dating a guy,” Maryse snorted, barely managing to hide it with a cough. That only seemed to increase Max’s confusion. “Was he not gay?”

“He was probably bisexual sweetheart.” Magnus explained, taking pity on the small Lightwood. 

“Oh,” Max said, shrugging. “‘Kay.” he said, before returning to his food. 

“Eat more chicken Magnus, you’re too skinny.” Phoebe insisted. 

“Oh, no it’s okay.” Magnus protested. 

She raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed, putting another few pieces of chicken on his plate. She smiled in triumph. “Good boy.” Magnus chose to ignore Jace’s laugh. 

“So, what do you do for a living?” Luke asked him. 

Magnus shrugged. “I run a fashion blog. I sell things on there, sometimes make my own pieces. It’s nothing special.”

Luke nodded, seemingly contemplating what Magnus had said. “I see. So, have you two had sex yet?”

Alec almost choked on his bread roll. He doubled over his plate, coughing violently. A cackling Simon patted him half heartedly on the back. He looked up at Magnus, tears in his eyes from the coughing, and he burst out laughing. Magnus followed quickly, laughing more at the awkwardness of the situation than anything else, winking at Izzy when she caught his eye and smirked. That only added fuel to her laughter. Max looked around him, the poor boy’s eyes wide in confusion, and Magnus decided to take pity on him and end the situation. “No, we haven’t yet.”

Maryse hummed. “Well, don’t decide to do it for the first time in our house please.”

Her comment started up the laughing again. Magnus looked around the table, smiling at the sight of the family for the third time that day. Jace punched Alec teasingly on the shoulder, Izzy teasing him with questions about who tops. Phoebe sent Maryse a look over the table, shaking her head in annoyance, but the soft smile on the woman's lips gave away how fake the annoyance really was. Conversation flowed easier after that if it were possible, the adults asking Magnus important questions while the others, who were all adults in every way except how they acted, poked fun at Alec about some of Magnus’s answers. They told him embarrassing stories from when Alec was a child, the boy hiding his face in his hands during most of them. Magnus laughed along with them, his guilt and sadness at the fakeness of the relationship temporarily forgotten in favour of laughing at the jokes Jace told and the stories of adventures in New York from Maia. She was sat next to Simon, giving him more glances than could be strictly platonic during the course of the dinner. There was definitely something going on there, Magnus concluded. 

They stayed at the table long after their food was done before Jace and Izzy decided to clear the dishes. Max retreated to his room and Maryse pulled out a few bottles of wine, pouring drinks for the group. Clary suggested they play some board games, which resulted in a game of pictionary that was more laughing than drawing and a game of Monopoly with people getting game pieces thrown at them. Magnus had retreated from the game soon after he lost, sitting beside Maryse on the couch and sipping on a glass of wine as he watched Alec dominate everyone at the game, a soft, content smile on his face. 

“He looks happy.” Maryse hummed, her eyes fixed on her eldest child.

Magnus smiled softly. “He does. I think he likes being home, he was never like this in New York.” 

“I think you’re part of it,” Maryse told him, turning her attention from the game to the man sitting next to her. “Alec, part of him always wasn’t there when he used to come home. I think having everyone home is a part of it, yes, but I’ve never seen him this happy when he came home. Not before you.”

Magnus let her words sink in, the weight of them foreign to him. He’d never seen Alec any other way with his family than how he was now, but Maryse was his mother. She’d see every change in her son since he was born. Something big had to have changed in him since she last saw him for her to notice that he was happier. He knew it wasn’t him, it couldn't be. They hardly knew each other, Alec couldn't be happier because of him. Despite how well he knew she was wrong, knew the change in him was sparked by something other than his presence, a distant part of him hoped she was right and he was the one that was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said in my other fic, I'm so sorry about the lack of an update last week. I started working on a new fic and I couldn't get ideas down for anything but that. I hope you understand. How are we feeling about this chapter? Thoughts, opinions, theories, let me hear them! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and I'll always do my best to respond to you guys without spoiling anything


	4. (Authors Note)

Hey, important authors note here. I've gotta change my update schedule. School is starting again tomorrow and I don't know if I'll have time to get an update to you guys every week. I'm really gonna try and focus on my grades this year and to do that I'll need to take a step back from some of my other commitments. Unfortunately, that's gonna have to include writing. This isn't as dramatic as it sounds and my updates won't be super scarce, just now instead of every week you'll probably only get a chapter every two weeks. If I can make a chapter happen every week I will and I'll try my best to do it anyways, but I don't want anyone to be confused if theres suddenly an extra week between chapters and I don't want to force unnecessary stress on myself with the once a week deadlines. I'm really sorry about the need for the change in schedule but I feel like it's the best option for me to produce the best quality chapters for you guys and for me to not be too stressed out with deadlines for this on top of schoolwork. I hope you guys understand. Thanks for sticking with me xx


	5. Tattoo Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If I had known you look this good half naked I would have gotten your clothes off sooner,” he said, throwing himself down on the bed beside him. “You didn't tell me you had so many tattoos.” 
> 
> Alec looked over his arms and chest, the different designs that had caught Magnus’s attention so normal to him now that he almost forgot he had them. “It never really came up.” 
> 
> “Tell me what they mean.” Magnus said, turning his body fully towards Alec and crossing his legs like a child. 
> 
> Alec smiled. “Where do you want me to start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any grammatical/spelling errors you find :)

The door of the room closed with a soft click and Alec sighed, leaning heavily against it. Dinner with his family had been so much more than he was expecting it to be, that was for sure. Magnus didn't seem to mind, but Alec wouldn't put it past him to fake being comfortable for the sake of his family's feelings. He'd told Alec he didn't mind earlier when he asked, but he could have been lying. He'd said he was tired and the two departed for their room after a round of hugs from family and friends alike. He didn't know if Magnus had been lying at his claim of tiredness, but they way he'd kept yawning into his hand during their last game of Life was strong evidence that he wasn't. 

“Are you alright darling?” Magnus asked, stepping over to Alec and laying a hand gently on his shoulder. 

Alec nodded, his eyes meeting Magnus’s. The man raised an eyebrow, clearly not okay with his nonverbal answer, and he sighed. “Yeah. I'm good,” Magnus trailed his hand over Alec's shoulder and down to his elbow before dragging it back up again. “Magnus, I'm sorry. About my family and the stuff they were saying and-" 

Magnus pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. “You have nothing to apologize for. I told you earlier, I don't mind.” 

“Just promise you'll tell me if they get to be too much, okay?” Alec pleaded. 

Magnus smiled, removing his hand from Alec's shoulder and placing it gently on his cheek. “Of course,” he patted his cheek lightly before stepping back, rolling his shoulders back. “So, how are we doing the sleeping arrangements?” 

Alec rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, pulling himself away from the door. “Izzy and Jace have a bad habit of barging in without knocking, so it would be best if we shared. We don't have to though, I can come up with an excuse if you're comfortable and sleep on the floor.” 

“Nonsense,” Magnus said, spinning back around to face him. “I'd be perfectly fine with sharing with you.” 

Alec nodded. “Okay, yeah, cool.” 

“Be warned, I've been told I'm quite cuddly.” Magnus teased. 

“I've been told the same.” Alec laughed. 

“How do you usually sleep? I sleep shirtless, and I wouldn't complain if you do the same, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable,” Magnus asked, digging the high his suitcase for a pair of pajama pants. Alec felt a sudden rush of affection for the man, smiling to himself at how considerate he was being. Magnus turned back to him, raising an eyebrow slightly at the small smile on Alec's face. “What are you smiling about?” 

Alec shook his head. “Nothing. I usually just sleep in boxers, if that's alright with you.” 

“I would never pass up an opportunity to see more of your gorgeous body.” Magnus teased.   
Alec blushed. “There's a bathroom across the hall you can change in.” 

“Thank you darling.” Magnus smiled, patting Alec on the shoulder as he passed. He and closed the door in one breath, leaving Alec alone in the room. He huffed, tugging a hand through his hair, and turned towards his suitcase. He could put on a pair of sweatpants, put another layer of clothing between himself and Magnus, but he always got too hot when he slept. Magnus didn't seem to mind either, with his teasing about seeing more of him and his compliments towards his body, but he may be joking to make Alec more comfortable. It seemed like the type of thing he would do. Still, he knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night if he decided to sleep with sweatpants on, so he resolved to just bite the bullet and stripped, leaving himself in just his boxers. He sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling his phone charger out of his bag and leaning over to plug it in. 

Alec heard a low whistle behind him and turned, glaring at Magnus, who was leaning against the wall of his room, his arms crossed over his chest and a teasing smirk plastered on his face. Alec let his eyes roam across his naked torso long enough to appreciate the sight before dragging his eyes back up to the mans face. If he noticed Alec's staring he didn't comment on it. Alec leaned over, flicking on a lamp, and Magnus got the hint to turn off the main lights of the room. “If I had known you look this good half naked I would have gotten your clothes off sooner,” he said, throwing himself down on the bed beside him. “You didn't tell me you had so many tattoos.” 

Alec looked over his arms and chest, the different designs that had caught Magnus’s attention so normal to him now that he almost forgot he had them. “It never really came up.” 

“Tell me what they mean.” Magnus said, turning his body fully towards Alec and crossing his legs like a child. 

Alec smiled. “Where do you want me to start?” 

Magnus looked over Alec's body for a moment, tracing the shape of each set of ink with his eyes. Alec had to hold himself back from squirming under his gaze. “This one.” Magnus said, placing a manicured finger on a tattoo on Alec’s chest. It was a tattoo of a snake, the head fitting just under his collarbone. 

“That one's easy,” he smiled, letting Magnus trace the lines of the picture. “It's my Hogwarts house.” 

Magnus snorted, his hand still resting on Alec's chest as he looked up at him. “You're such a nerd.” 

“It was a group thing. Four of us all got them when Clary turned eighteen. She wanted it to be her first one. She's only got a couple, but the lion is the biggest. It's on her shoulder.” Alec explained. 

“She’s a Gryffindor?” Magnus asked. He was running his finger up and down the length of the snakes back now. Alec didn't find himself minding the contact. 

Alec nodded. “So is Jace. He didn't get a tattoo though. Simon got a badger on his forearm and Izzy's got a bird on her thigh.” 

The tattoos were all black and white, leaning more towards a realistic style than that of the original house crests, but they showed off what they were intended to show off. It was one of his favourites, done by a girl he dated for two weeks before he came out in high school and ended up staying good friends with. 

“What about this one?” Magnus asked, his finger trailing from Alec's chest to his shoulder, landing on his favourite tattoo. 

“It's the molecular structure of serotonin.” he said. 

“What does it mean?” 

“I've got anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was fifteen. Izzy, she's always been like a safety blanket for me. She's big into science, it's what she does for a living, and serotonin is thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness. It fit.” He told him, smiling at the story. 

“That's really sweet.” Magnus smiled. He dragged his nail lightly over Alec's arm. He had to fight to suppress a shiver. 

Alec simply shrugged. “I get tattoos for all the people that are important to me.” 

“Maybe I'll earn a tattoo one day,” Magnus teased, winking at him before turning his attention back to his body. He was pointing at another tattoo before Alec even had the chance to respond. “This one?” 

The tattoo he’d moved to was on the inside of his arm, just below his elbow. ‘You think too much’ written in his mother's handwriting. “It's another anxiety one.” there wasn't much else to say about it. It was there to remind him to get out of his head, to not let his thoughts control him. 

“Okay, one more. I've got to save something for another day,” Magnus winked before dragging his eyes over Alec's upper body, trying to find the perfect tattoo to end on. “This one.” he said finally, his finger landing on a tattoo across his collarbone on the opposite side from the snake. It was Alec's most recent tattoo, the word Fight in his baby brothers slightly slanted printing. 

“Its for Max.” Magnus didn't ask for any more information, and Alec didn't give it. 

“We should go to bed.” Magnus said, stroking his thumb over Alec's collarbone once gently before pulling away, shuffling so he was sitting next to him instead of across of him. 

Alec nodded. “Yeah. Yeah we should.” 

He pulled back the blanket, laughing as Magnus tried to wiggle his way underneath before finally giving in and lifting his side. He let himself flop down next to him, staring up at the ceiling before turning to flick off the lamp illuminating the room, leaving them in darkness as they laid there. He turned over to face the other man. Magnus was already laying facing him, his expression unreadable in the dark of the room. There was hardly any room between them in the small space of Alec's childhood bed, but neither seemed to mind. He could just make out the shape of Magnus's eyes, watching Alec as Alec watched him. They could still hear the sounds of the gathering going on downstairs, the laughing and screaming of Alec's family, but in the same between them it was silent, neither saying anything, before Magnus finally broke it. 

“Hey.” He whispered. His breath hit Alec's face where it was centimeters in front of his own. 

“Hey.” Alec whispered back, a soft smile on his face he knew Magnus wouldn't be able to see. 

They didn't have to whisper. Most of his family was still downstairs and Max would be dead to the world by now. Nobody would hear them if they raised their voices a little. Still, neither seemed too eager to break the peaceful moment between them, so they didn't. Alec shifted, rolling onto his back again, and Magnus took it upon himself to actually cuddle up against him, resting his head on his shoulder. He traced the outline of Alec's snake tattoo again and again, his finger running soft lines up and down the space it occupied on Alec's chest. 

“Do you have a tattoo kink I should know about?” Alec asked, his voice taking on a teasing tone. He moved his arm so it was around Magnus. He traced his own version of the snake onto his skin with his thumb, the pattern sloppy and inconsistent without the template Magnus was working as with. 

Magnus huffed out a laugh, warm breath fanning over Alec's neck. He shivered and Magnus moved closer, pulling the blankets up tighter around them. “No. I just think the snake is pretty, that's all.” 

“If you say so.” Alec hummed. His closed his eyes, not feeling tired but not rested either. He was sitting at a strange space in between where sleep felt more like a comfort than a necessity. 

“Are you gonna get any more?” Magnus asked after a while, his voice even quieter than it was before. 

Alec shrugged as best as he could without jostling the man's head on his shoulder. “Who knows. I want to, I just have to find something worth tattooing first.” 

“How do you decide?” He seemed genuinely interested in what Alec had to say about the art on his skin. It didn't surprise him, not really. Magnus seemed like the type of man who would be interested by any beautiful thing you put in front of him. Tattoos were something Alec had always found mesmerizing to look at. The stories marked into people's skin, a permanent reminder of what is and what has been, the journeys you've taken mapped out on your body for all to see but few to understand. They were a piece of interest for Alec, something he always found himself drawn to about people, the pictures on their skin calling for him to figure out. The longer he talked to Magnus about it, the more he started to feel that the other man was just as infatuated by the ink as he was. 

“I dunno,” he said, making a non committal noise in his throat as he thought about it. “It's on me forever so if I don't love it I don't get it.” 

Magnus nodded and didn't say anything else, simply just traced the design again and again until Alec was too tired to watch him anymore and gave up, closing his eyes and letting sleep take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so short but I'm finally starting to get back into writing this. School has finally calmed down a little and I have the time to start writing again. Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments. It was kinda a filler chapter but some important plot points are starting to unravel with Alec's tattoos. Comments and kudos are highly appreciated. I'll see y'all next time I update. I promise it won't take so long next time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, look, another idea that's been floating around my brain for a while. This one isn't nearly as developed as my other fic, but I'm working on getting there. Let me know what you think so far? Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.


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